Coolmore and Godolphin spare the sport some embarrassment - and not for the first time

There was never much chance the Coral-Eclipse would look remotely like the Wacky Weekender Festival Pitchcroft 21st-23rd July Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, but the extent to which the former bore minimal resemblance to the latter was nonetheless extremely pleasing. 

It would have been nice to have more than four runners in Sandown's signature Flat prize – more on that anon – but what a wonderful sight we were afforded by Paddington and Emily Upjohn. On a track that has played host to some of the sport's most iconic finishes, two top-class thoroughbreds and two of the world's finest jockeys showed total commitment to the goal of victory. The finish to the race with the long name at Worcester on Wednesday had not been quite like that.

Before we go further on that front, a disclaimer. There are things you might have thought and said about the performance of Hillsin that cannot and should not be placed on a published platform while an investigation is taking place, just as social media is not a sensible spot to start suggesting who might be at the centre of the explicit photos scandal currently rocking the BBC.